Lately I've been living off the caffeine in my cup and the fruit snacks in my school bag.

I study in parks and under a big shade tree on the lawn outside of my first class.

I've poured over Burke and Paine and Price.  Gotten all sorts of fired up and passionate about The Glorious Revolution in England and the French Revolution.  I've made flashcards of linguistic terminology and written a few pretty good essays.

But what I've been doing that has been the sweetest for my soul has nothing to do with school books and heated discussions.

I'm back.

I came back with tired eyes and so I stayed away from everything but the dog for the first week.  But now I'm here and I can not wait to love the people around me.  One of my friends asked me where I find these people.

These people, the ones that I can not get enough of.

Tasha, you attract some oddities.  

And it caught me off guard.  But don't you see it?  Don't you see what He's given them?  Look, they're so Great in Him.  When I look at them, I can see Him.  

And when I said that, I realized that it is good to be here.

Here where my faith was born.  My sister is here.  My childhood church is here.  My favorite library and streets and radio stations.  They are all here.  But what is really here, what really matters- are the people.

Tired people, struggling people, beautiful people.  People that were strong at some point and then got lost.

I see God in their faces.  And I see myself in their fears.

And so I say Jesus please.  Please, please, please help us.  My prayers are alive again, and it is so good to pray.

This weekend I am going to Texas to see my brother.  Tania and I- we're driving through the night so that we can see him in the morning.

I did not realize how much I missed my family.

I am practicing my Texas outfit.  Check out that sweet belt my dad bought me.  And my favorite boots.  Yee Haw.

I have a friend here whose faith is so raw and real that I can not help it.  I get teary whenever I listen to him talk about Jesus.  It is one of the most beautiful things I have found.  He sent me this from our favorite author and I think it's wonderful.

Be free.

 In Christ Jesus freedom from fear empowers us to let go of the desire to appear good so that we can move freely in the mystery of who we really are. - Brennan the man Manning